


A Small Price to Pay

by makkurataichou



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: M/M, Modern AU, Sloppy Makeouts, halloween fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-02
Updated: 2016-11-02
Packaged: 2018-08-28 14:28:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8449867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makkurataichou/pseuds/makkurataichou
Summary: Sometimes, Rose could hardly believe the lengths she went to for the sake of her friends. Modern AU Halloween fic.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you chim and jordon for slowly dragging me into slightly-less-than-vanilla soymilk hell...and also for helping me edit this to make sure it was...uh... _spicey_ enough /SHOT

Rose grinned and nodded to herself. This was probably her best idea yet.

Sometimes she could hardly believe the lengths she went to for the sake of her friends. In hindsight, agreeing to host a Halloween party at her and Dezel’s small apartment two days before Halloween was probably not the best idea if she wanted to stay sane before exam season. Not to mention Dezel would be pretty mad once he found out. But it was all for the greater good, and as a business major, Rose was all about maximizing value.

After all, if it meant finally getting those _two huge nerds_ to come out of their shells and stop dancing around each other, it would all be worth it.

Rose had been trying to convince Sorey and Mikleo to attend their school’s Halloween parties for years, but they’d always managed to find ways to back out. Mikleo blamed his family’s elaborate pumpkin carving rituals, while Sorey seemed to have something different every year—whether it was a video game release, a last-minute test, or even his father being in town for once, he never failed to come up with an excuse, and it frustrated her to no end.

Sorey was friendly and quite popular outside of school. In class, however, he and Mikleo tended to keep to themselves. She supposed it was inevitable: they were childhood friends—neighbours at that—and growing up that close meant they’d never needed the company of anyone else. And while she knew they were happy, Rose didn’t think it would hurt to get them to interact with other people more by having them go to more social events.

Not to mention the other, more important problem—they were both _clearly_ in love with each other. Being best friends was one thing, but she had seen the two of them pining after each other so much it made her sick. It had been impossible to ignore the heartbroken expression on Sorey’s face when Mikleo had once told him he had to attend his club activities after class. That, combined with the distant look she’d seen in Mikleo’s eyes _during_ said club activities had made her want to kick him to the curb and yell, “just go after your boyfriend already, you two are exhausting!”

Obviously, she’d refrained from interfering in their lives. _Obviously_. Sorey and Mikleo clearly had a good thing going—who was she to get in the way? She certainly hadn’t been the one who’d secretly placed a fake love letter in Mikleo’s locker and then loudly pointed it out to Sorey moments later. Nor had it been her (brilliant) idea to steal Sorey’s umbrella on a rainy day, forcing them to blushingly share Mikleo’s on their way back home. Honestly, a simple Halloween party was the tamest thing she could have come up with.

Besides, the two of them could back out of a school-wide party, but both Sorey and Mikleo knew there’d be hell to pay if they backed out of one of hers.

* * *

Sorey didn’t know why he’d agreed to this so last-minute.

Actually, that was a lie—he knew _perfectly_ well why he’d agreed. He’d been sitting across from Mikleo, practically shaking in his sneakers, ready to ask him what felt like the most important question of his _life_ , when Rose had suddenly barged into the classroom and yelled something at them about a Halloween party at her place. His nerves shot, Sorey’s first instinct had been to stand up immediately and blurt out an over-enthusiastic “yes!”, at which point both Mikleo and Rose had given him a funny look.

Of course, Mikleo had eventually agreed too, but that was beside the point. Sorey liked to go all-out with his costumes. That was why he’d always thrown excuses at Rose and spent most of his Halloweens with Mikleo and his family instead. They had been the first to appreciate the effort he’d put into his hand-sewn Shepherd’s cloak years ago—“he was the greatest legend ever, you know!”—and since then, he’d always chosen to carve pumpkins with them in lieu of big parties filled with large groups of people and their store-bought costumes.

But this time, Sorey only had two days to prepare. He couldn’t go as a goblin again this year—his handmade pointy ears and repurposed furry green costume were too embarrassing to wear in the presence of more than three other people. Nor did he have the time to put together an actual costume. At this point, he’d have to settle for what was easiest.

He glanced at the back of his room, where a few large boxes he hadn’t put away months ago were still leaning against the wall. Closing his eyes, he let out a sigh.

_‘Well, if I can’t make it good...’_

* * *

Night fell as Sorey approached Rose and Dezel’s apartment complex, wearing a simple black t-shirt and jeans, carton in hand. Taking in a deep breath, he pulled the box over his head and looked down at the words he had scrawled on the front.

“Sorey-o’s—part of a healthy, balanced breakfast.”

He grimaced. It was the cheesiest thing in the world, but at least he’d be able to get a laugh out of Rose, and Mikleo, and whomever else she’d managed to invite. He took the elevator up to their floor and stepped out into the hallway, only to see Mikleo standing in front of their apartment, his hand raised and ready to knock on the door.

Honestly, seeing Mikleo arriving at the same time as he was shouldn’t have surprised him...what caught him off-guard was what Mikleo was _wearing_. It seemed as though he’d had a similar idea—he was also wearing a giant box, the top flaps pulled up to his neck.

“What are you supposed to be?” Sorey asked, getting his attention. Mikleo turned to face him, allowing him to see the word “MILK” written neatly in capital letters just beneath the rim of the box.

“I’m Milkleo,” he said plainly.

Sorey burst out laughing. Mikleo gave him an indignant look.

“What?” He huffed, tossing his blue bangs slightly. “You’re dressed as a giant cereal box. Sorey-o’s? Seriously?”

Sorey grinned. “You know I couldn’t resist! I love cereal!”

Mikleo looked up at him, his cheeks pink. “You’re cereal, and I’m milk. Everyone’s going to think this is some kind of couple costume.”

At that, Sorey froze, the tips of his ears turning red. “Th-that’s—” he began, but before he could say any more, the door before them opened and Rose stepped out, staring at them with her hands on her hips.

“How long have you two been out here?” she asked, grabbing them by the corners of their boxes and yanking them inside. She slammed the door and spun around, eyeing the both of them suspiciously.

“Were you planning to knock, or were you just making eyes at each other?” The cat ears on her head practically _twitched_ as she yelled over the loud music, and despite barely being able to hear her, Sorey and Mikleo both turned beet red.

She didn’t even give them a chance to explain. “Whatever...as long as you’re here,” she sighed, turning them around and pushing them further into the apartment. “Go on, mingle!”

The first thing that Sorey noticed was the obvious lack of lights. Rose had clearly gone as far as she possibly could have without testing Dezel’s patience—she’d replaced all the lightbulbs with ultraviolet bulbs, and hung silly Halloween decorations all over the place. Thankfully, the friend she’d asked to DJ wasn’t quite as over-the-top. Dezel was blind, but he sure as hell wasn’t _deaf_.

The man in question was standing in a corner of the room, his arms across his chest and wolf ears glued to the top of his signature hat. Beside him stood Zaveid, a upperclassman of theirs—he was wearing an obnoxious chicken suit with the largest tail feathers Sorey had ever seen on a costume in his entire life.

He and Mikleo weaved their way past a small mob of dancing people. They briefly greeted the twins, Tal and Fel, who were wearing matching purple suits. Sorey also waved to Alisha and Sergei, who had coincidentally both chosen to dress as knights—considering they were both class representatives, he thought it suited them well. After a brief struggle, the two of them finally made it to Dezel and Zaveid. Mikleo thanked the co-host, who simply let out an affirmative grunt, while Sorey took to staring at Zaveid instead..

“Why a giant chicken?” he asked, genuinely curious. Zaveid smirked and puffed his chest out with pride, placing his hands on his hips.

“Psh, Sorey, I’m more than just an ordinary chicken,” he said with a twinkle in his eye, and Dezel groaned—clearly he’d heard this explanation too many times already. “I, the great Zaveid, am a huge, meaty co—”

“—alright, that’s enough,” Mikleo interjected, placing his hands over Sorey’s ears. “I don’t need you ruining Sorey’s innocence with your dumb jokes.”

“Mikleo, you know I can still hear, right?”

“T-then don’t listen!”

Dezel’s lips curled into a small smile. “Hmph. You two are the same as always.”

“Heh, and they’re at an actual _party_ for once, too!” Zaveid exclaimed, leaning forward and wrapping his arms around their boxes, drawing them closer to him. “C’mon kids, let’s have some fun!”

Sorey and Mikleo blanched. Clearly they wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.

* * *

An hour or so later, Sorey was exhausted. His costume made it practically impossible for him to move around, and he’d also somehow managed to lose sight of Mikleo in the fray. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy socializing on his own, but he always felt more comfortable when Mikleo was by his side.

Heaving an exhausted sigh, he pulled off his box and set it beside the balcony door before stepping outside. The cool breeze felt heavenly against his skin, and he closed his eyes, savouring it for a few moments.

When he opened his eyes again, he noticed that he wasn’t alone. Mikleo was already standing there leaning against the rail, no longer wearing his box. He’d also clearly opted to wear casual clothes underneath his costume, and Sorey thought the long-sleeved white shirt and jeans suited him best.

He moved closer to Mikleo so he could stand beside him, and the two of them silently stared up at the sky, enjoying the breeze and the quiet of the outdoors as the loud music still pounded behind them, albeit quieter now that the balcony door was shut.

“Hey, Mikleo,” Sorey began hesitantly. “About what I was trying to ask you in class earlier today…”

Mikleo turned to look at him, his expectant violet eyes giving Sorey the strength to continue. He swallowed, his grip tightening on the railing before he continued.

“Could…” He paused, trying to find the right words. “Could I...spend Christmas with your family this year?”

Mikleo’s eyes grew wide. “That’s...that’s what you were so worried about asking me? All this time?”

Sorey nodded furiously and looked down at his feet, embarrassed. “I don’t wanna impose, but my dad’s going to be out of town again, and it always gets so lonely at home, and—”

He stopped when he heard soft laughter, and snapped his head back up to see Mikleo’s amused face. “Wh-what’s so funny?” he asked, confused.

“Sorey,” he breathed, placing a hand on the brunet’s face, a hint of a smile playing upon his lips. “We’ve been dating for three years now. You don’t have to _ask_.”

Sorey’s face lit up in a smile, and he pulled Mikleo close, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. “I know...but I always feel guilty. Your mom and uncle are always so accommodating.”

“They just like having another mouth to feed and another set of ears to talk off,” Mikleo said, placing his hands on Sorey’s chest and playing with his t-chirt collar. “Besides...”

He pulled away slightly and leaned up to press a gentle kiss against Sorey’s mouth. “You know I like having you there, too.”

“Mikleooo,” Sorey whined slightly when they separated. “What if Rose sees? We’ve been trying to hide this from her for _ages_.”

“Let her look,” Mikleo murmured, nuzzling Sorey’s cheek and kissing his jaw. “As much as I’ve enjoyed messing with her for this long, at this point I don’t really care.”

Sorey shivered when Mikleo placed his lips against his neck. He ran his arms down Mikleo’s sides, slipping his hands underneath the white shirt and smiling when the blue-haired boy hissed at the touch of his cold fingertips.

“I don’t think...I care either…” he breathed, allowing Mikleo’s arms to snake around him and trace the curve of his back beneath his shirt. Sorey tugged his boyfriend closer and dipped his head slightly to bring their lips together again, his hands still massaging Mikleo’s sides as their mouths moved against each other slowly, urgently.

* * *

Rose was not a patient person. Her attention span was short, though, especially when she had this many people to greet and mingle with, so despite the size of her apartment she’d _still_ managed to lose sight of her “guests of honour.”

“They’d better not have left,” she huffed, crossing her arms against her chest. “Where the heck did they go?”

She eased her way into her bedroom, where she found Sorey’s “costume” leaning against the wall. Confused, she pulled the balcony door open, wondering if he’d stepped outside for some fresh air—

—and found Sorey and Mikleo pressed up against the railing, kissing furiously. Mikleo’s leg was wrapped around Sorey, who in return had his hand down the back of Mikleo’s pants and _she really didn’t want to think about where they were going with that, not with these two of all people—_

 _‘I thought this was what you wanted,’_ one part of her mind whispered coyly, while the other screamed _‘THEY’RE MAKING OUT IN YOUR BALCONY GET THEM OUT BEFORE THEY TAKE IT ANY FURTHER THAN THIS OH MY GOD—’_

Choosing to listen to the side she considered rational, she grabbed a broom on impulse and began to swat at them from a distance. “Stop it you two, this is embarrassing,” she growled, her jabs growing more intense when they completely ignored her in favour of feeling each other up even more intensely. Even _she_ was blushing now...as much as Rose had wanted Sorey and Mikleo to get together, she had hardly signed up for...for _this_.

She clenched her fist and shoved the broom handle into whatever small space remained between the two in a weak attempt to separate them. “If you’re gonna make out on my balcony you’d better be prepared to pay rent!!” she yelled, breathing heavily as the two of them finally, _finally_ pulled apart.

Mikleo gave Sorey a careful, meaningful look. Sorey blinked once, twice, then nodded and leaned back in, meeting Mikleo’s lips with a sigh. The two of them continued to kiss, Mikleo going as far as to let out a load moan as Sorey caressed the back of his thigh, while Rose just stood there, dumbfounded.

_‘I can’t believe this, they’re still—’_

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Mikleo’s hands run down Sorey’s hips and reach into his jean pockets, pulling out a wad of cash. He flung it in her general direction and then proceeded to wrap his hand around Sorey’s neck and tug him even closer (was that even physically possible at this point?!)

Rose reached for the bills as they fluttered into her hands. Her eyes grew wide as she did the math, and she bit her lip, thinking for a brief moment before pocketing the cash and backing into the bedroom once again, closing the balcony door behind her.

_‘Dezel’s not going to like this.’_

* * *

“—kleo. Hey, Mikleo.”

Mikleo’s eyes blinked open at the sound of Sorey’s voice. He could hardly remember what had happened last night—all he knew was that he and Sorey had left Rose’s apartment rather late at night, and that they’d been unable to keep their hands off each other, and that they’d headed to Sorey’s house afterwards—

He sat up in Sorey’s bed and tugged the blankets closer in a feeble attempt to cover his bare chest. Glancing to his left, he saw Sorey standing in the middle of the room, wearing only his jeans from last night and looking rather embarrassed.

“So, I kinda made a mistake when I brought money along to Rose’s place last night,” he said sheepishly, placing a hand behind his neck.

“...what d’you mean?” Mikleo slurred slightly, still groggy. “We were going to chip in for snacks, right? Twenty bucks each?”

The brunet bit his lip. “Yeah...about that. I might’ve brought extra.”

Mikleo raised an eyebrow. “How much extra?”

A pause. “Add a zero.”

The numbers buzzed around in Mikleo’s head for a moment before finally clicking together, and his eyes grew wide. “Oh no, Sorey, don’t tell me—”

Sorey gave him a weak, watery smile. “My dad’s going to kill me.”

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe this fic was born from a conversation with chim about _pigeon sex_.......


End file.
